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Canada Government News

Canada Launches ACTA Bill 91

Posted by Soulskill from the while-everybody's-paying-attention-to-hockey dept.
TrueSatan writes "In an utterly craven move, the Canadian government has launched a bill to bring Canada into full compliance with the discredited, U.S.-led ACTA agreement — an agreement to which most of the world does not agree. To further pressure the acceptance of this awful bill, the U.S., on the same day, released their Trade Policy and Agenda Annual Report (PDF), which calls on Canada to comply with ACTA obligations. For ACTA to take effect, it would require six signatures from the major economic blocks. Tt appears to have no remaining possibility of getting them, yet the U.S., and now Canada, continue to push it forward. The Canadian bill features claims based on spurious health and safety concerns that have been thoroughly debunked by a U.S. report. Despite these claims being so dubious, they remain a cornerstone of the Canadian bill. Similarly, the claimed losses due to counterfeiting ($30 billion USD) stated in the bill have also been debunked. The Canadian bill seeks to give border guards an unprecedented level of control, without the possibility of judicial oversight. Despite a lack of evidence to suggest that Canada is a major source of counterfeit product, the bill puts at risk the fully-legal parallel import of generic items — pharmaceuticals, for instance. The bill would also change copyright infringement from a civil dispute to a breach of criminal law. Pity Canada if this bill is enacted!"
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Canada Launches ACTA Bill More

Canada Launches ACTA Bill

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  • I'm not sure I understand... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 01, 2013 @05:27PM (#43049901)

    Could the editors please present a less objective article because I'm not sure if I understand how I'm supposed to feel about the issue.

    Thank you.

    Soma Soma Soma

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Thanks. Came here just to say that. Can we at least pretend not to be so damned sensationalist?

    • This is Mr. Harper, whose Reform/Alliance/Conservative party supposedly stands for individual liberty over the oppression of the corporations, fairness to Canadians and loyalty to the principles of peace, order and good government.

      Their actions are a betrayal of their own members, the legalization of the oppression of citizens by corporations and the subversion of Canadian judicial independence from the U.S.

      I'm sure his antediluvian core supporters will think this is a good idea, but I suspect anyone un

  • Propose != Launch (Score:5, Interesting)

    by TechieRefugee ( 2105386 ) on Friday March 01, 2013 @05:31PM (#43049947)
    From my understanding of TFA, it's not official legislation yet. Honestly, I don't see this going through, so calm down, title!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Dr. Evil ( 3501 )

      Conservative majority and some recent added senators. Why do you think it won't go through?

      • Re:Propose != Launch (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Beerdood ( 1451859 ) on Friday March 01, 2013 @05:49PM (#43050173)
        The conservatives didn't pass the last similar bill through, though they could have. They *could* pass any bill they like, but if there's enough public backlash they may decide against passing it. They do plan on winning seats in future elections, so they won't just pass anything unless it has a minimum threshold of public support.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Mashiki ( 184564 )

          Bingo. This bill will get the same amount of public outcry as the previous ones. And considering I can't even connect to the Government of Canada website right now, I'd say that it's already begun. Even at that, the SCC does have a long history of slapping down laws like this when they go against the interest of Canadians.

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by Dr. Evil ( 3501 )

            I'm not sure they'll get the outcry.

            They're couching the act as a consumer safety issue. They'll cite counterfeit child-seats for cars, Vic Toews will start rattling "you're with us, or you're with the child-killers".

            Then the legitimate Conservative position is another layer to the whole thing. This makes big business happy, which means jobs for Canadians, and jobs make the economy tick, allowing everyone to buy the services which the government needs to withdraw from the mooching unemployed.

            A bill

        • Canada has their own version of Hollywood to contend with, which poses a problem.

          Hollywood were among those who pressed Obama to sign ACTA without senate approval, or even letting the senate see it at all (a major constitutional violation - how he got away with that is rather shocking.) Obama won a peace prize after all, if he can be traded on the open market like that, imagine what can happen in Canada.

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by Anonymous Coward

            Canada has their own version of Hollywood to contend with, which poses a problem.

            Yes. It is called Quebec.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by guidryp ( 702488 )

      What's to stop it? He has a majority and he has a an iron Hand with his MPs. None of them will vote against it unless he declares it a free vote, which he won't.

    • The Conservatives have a majority government in Canada. Unless a significant number of MPs break party ranks, which would be political suicide for those MPs, and vote against the bill it will pass. It is possible that the Senate will delay it until the current session of Parliament ends, but given the track record of the current Group of Senators that is unlikely. And even if they do show that much political courage and insight the Conservatives would probably just reintroduce the bill with a few token c

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      That's the problem with having a strong majority government. They can ram through just about anything with no resistance.

      This is just another example of what a minority of citizens in Canada and the States worry about; governments running wild with unpublished agendas independent of political party and with no real concern about the majority of the population.

      The old are lucky enough that they won't see the worst of it. The young have been indoctrinated into believing that this is exactly the way things s

    • Keystone XL passed a notable hurdle today....

      There is no whore like an old whore - Brian Mulroney, former Canadian PM and (presumably still) douche bag.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by StillAnonymous ( 595680 )

      Why is it that we have to fight shit like this on a seemingly CONSTANT basis? Seriously, they're dredging up oppressive legislation faster than it can be struck down. You can block a thousand of these things, but all it takes is for just one of these pieces of toilet paper to slip past the goalie and it's game over for public, it'll never go away. It seems just short of impossible to get rid of any bad law.

  • They're just being polite, eh.
  • Surprised by the under-handed tactic? I'm not. I've known that another bill would come along, but from which direction I couldn't have guess, Canada least of all. Here in America, we can't do shit because it's not on our soil. Because major corporations are overseas, I believe that they finally found the weak point of the world. Should it pass, the dominos shall fall and we will have to submit to a Dictatorship rule.

    I pray to whatever Gods or Goddesses will listen to me ask them to Not Pass this Bill!
  • If you're not familiar with the bill or with ACTA, have another look at that summary. Every other word is loaded - craven, pressure, aweful, spurious, etc.
    Therefore, don't forget the it's OBVIOUSLY so ridiculously slanted as to be completely and utterly useless in understanding what it's about. It's so clear that the author is not just biased, but radically, rabidly so. Therefore, te only use for such a article is for the author similarly rabid people to enjoy reading their own thoughts. Mental masturba
  • ... Park never has been more accurate [wikipedia.org].

  • Whenever the Canadian Government tries a bill like it, it ends up not going through or delayed enough to the point of the next election, then it's ignored for a while.

  • ....it seems to me that's where this is heading unless the Canadians get some backbone.

    • ....it seems to me that's where this is heading unless the Canadians get some backbone.

      It was a mistake taking Maestro Fresh Wes' advice to let our backbone slide in the late 80s. We might have fared better with a fixed backbone.

  • How did this crapola get past the firehose?

  • We don't see a public outcry against the TPP Agreement's IPR Chapter, we don't see an public outcry against the copyright provisions in CETA, and the defeat of ACTA in Europe was just a by-line. We do seem SOME negative flak for CETA as it relates to the price Seniors have to pay for their meds.

    Question: which Canadian MP is a Champion of Internet Freedom and the reigning-in of the Copyright Industry's World-Wide Ratcheting system? Answer: none!

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